A farm business near Saxmundham has scooped the crown at a farm conservation awards event held in Suffolk.

Glemham Farms, at Great Glemham, won the Suffolk FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group) Farm Conservation Competition while Boarded Barn Farm, Great Finborough, Stowmarket, and South Elmham Hall, St Cross South Elmham, near Bungay, were joint winners of the Tim Sloane Memorial Award at the awards ceremony on Wednesday. The event was attended by Suffolk FWAG members and guests.

The Farm Conservation Competition, hosted by Suffolk FWAG chairman Glenn Buckingham and sponsored by Ashton KCJ Solicitors, has been running for more than 30 years. It celebrates Suffolk farms which combine conservation and environmental stewardship with running commercial businesses.

Jeanette Dennis, Agriculture & Estates partner at Ashton KCJ, introduced the Farm Conservation Competition awards, which were presented by the judges Chris Knock and Martin Sandford.

The three shortlisted farms were visited over the summer by the judges, accompanied by Ashton KCJ partner, Simon Cunningham.

Bocking Hall, Helmingham, near Debenham, was runner-up in the farm conservation competition, and Lodge Farm, Gisleham, near Lowestoft, was runner-up.

Guest speaker Johann Tasker, chief reporter at Farmers Weekly, spoke about the changes which have taken place in farming since Farmers Weekly was established in the 1930s. In that time he said, vast changes had occurred in the media, and the advent of social media meant that the huge number of good news stories that could be found in farming were able to reach a wider audience.

Ms Dennis said: “Ashton KCJ has worked closely with many of the region’s agricultural businesses for a number of years. We are passionate about the work Suffolk FWAG undertakes in helping to preserve the Suffolk countryside and reduce farming’s environmental impact. We are pleased to be sponsoring the awards once again this year and congratulate Suffolk FWAG on the successes of the past 12 months.”